Any Ski Recommendations for an Intermediate to Advanced Skier?

Hello, everyone, I've found myself slightly at a loss among all the skis available, and am not sure what skis would really fit me and my interests well. I'm looking for an all mountain ski that I can take everywhere; I really like the powder and stuff, but i also enjoy the groomers. I go out to Jasper and Banff a couple times a year, in the Rockies (not sure if many will recognize them) and I can do blacks with effort, and really enjoy hitting the mountain hard. I'm 15 years old and 140 lbs.

I've heard from some local shops that the Nordica Hot Rod Igniter is a pretty good all mountain ski for the price. The new Rossignol Avengers also caught my eye, but I'm unsure. I want some skis that will last a very long time.

I ski close to the same level as you,Picked up some new,07 saloman x-wing rockets(rated to be for int-adv. level)have 10 days on them now, Like em.
Got them at a Gart bros type of store.About $ 300.00 O.T.D. intregrated bindings.
I'm also the same weight +- 5 lbs my skis are 155cm.

Im 16, 125lbs, Advanced Skiier. Bought a pair of 2010 Volkl AC30's last month (170cm), I've skied them three days so far and love them (Groomers only, haven't got much snow yet in lower California). Not sure how they will hold up when the snow arrives, they are a little on the stiff side, but thats what makes them so great on the groomed runs. I bought them at a local shop for $899, but I know they can be found for cheaper on the net.

lebearo, not sure where you hail from (I grew up Sherwood Park/Edmonton). I have easy US border access and am going to Oakland later this week. So I called up Sierra Jim's Starthaus shop (site sponsor? or at minimum major tech info contributor) this am and then dawgcatcher's "

Village Bike and Ski 541-593-2453 Full line of skis from Dynastar, Elan, Fischer, K2, Head, Blizzard, and Stockli. Call for current specials" shop.

SJ gave me a fine online response to my own thread so I gave them dibs but sounded like they have a confined market with expected sales on the ski's I want so weren't giving me a great deal (their words, SJ wasn't working at the time I phoned).

Next I phoned Dawg at Village Bike & Ski, (Scott?? sorry, can't recall for certain and all my notes are at work!). We had a great relaxed tech discussion to help me close my decisions. He was very helpful and their present deal whereby all skis include a free binding set was killer for me. Ski's were already $649.....so $649 loaded with bindings AND free shipping. In addition I wanted a full tune (seen that rec'd for the Sultan 85's I picked) that I bucked up for. They'll be at my hotel on Thursday or Friday along with the sportube from altrec.com to round out two major items I've been wanting to take care of.

I'm sure he could do the same for at least a couple of you on this thread posting from stateside/western US let alone rest. Many shopowners are overworked right now as their staff finally get a few days off post Holiday rush......but the owners/key staff still are out of breath so be patient if you don't get a reply very shortly. Good luck with your quest.

Originally Posted by mthigh
Bought a pair of 2010 Volkl AC30's last month. ......Not sure how they will hold up when the snow arrives, they are a little on the stiff side.....................I bought them at a local shop for $899.

Im sure the 80mm underfoot will float on/through powder well enough, especially at his weight. I'd have to agree it's not much of an ALL-mountain ski, but on second thought I cant think of any that are. The AC30 does have a considerable frontside bias, but also maintains the width and characteristics to hold up well in crud. I'll let you know in more detail when the snow arrives (maybe next season at this rate) or when I head up to Mammoth or Tahoe. SnoFun did you demo the new AC30? if so in what conditions? Im interested to know.
Yeah $899, I ended up getting 20% off though, you gotta love black friday (suppried they did it on a 2010 model).

Thanks guys, I can see that there are a bunch of options out there... Has anyone tried any skis from the Nordica Hot Rod series? I've heard they are decent all mountain skis. I don't really want to be paying more than $1000 for skis and bindings together, and I want a pair that will last for a really long time.

Thanks guys, I can see that there are a bunch of options out there... Has anyone tried any skis from the Nordica Hot Rod series? I've heard they are decent all mountain skis. I don't really want to be paying more than $1000 for skis and bindings together, and I want a pair that will last for a really long time.

Keep the good comments going. =)

You will find that many of the skis today come with bindings included as the systems are integrated into the ski. Most of the 'All Mountain' Atomic, Nordica, Volkl skis come with bindings. But binding prices are a good thing to take into account. Do you own boots? By the way what are you current using for skis?

I demoed the top of the line Nordica hot rod last January at Mammoth, the name eludes me. Was neither impressed nor turned off. Bottom line was I didn't end up buying it, so I mustn't of been wowed. But I have only heard good things about the Hot Rod series by Nordica. Try using the search function on this site to find specific reviews and discussions on products.

Hello, everyone, I've found myself slightly at a loss among all the skis available, and am not sure what skis would really fit me and my interests well. I'm looking for an all mountain ski that I can take everywhere; I really like the powder and stuff, but i also enjoy the groomers. I go out to Jasper and Banff a couple times a year, in the Rockies (not sure if many will recognize them) and I can do blacks with effort, and really enjoy hitting the mountain hard. I'm 15 years old and 140 lbs.

I've heard from some local shops that the Nordica Hot Rod Igniter is a pretty good all mountain ski for the price. The new Rossignol Avengers also caught my eye, but I'm unsure. I want some skis that will last a very long time.

Any and all help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Dynastar Sultan 80 is definitely worth checking out, especially at the price. Also the K2 Raider seems popular for many, although the feedback we have gotten is that the Sultan 80 is really a special ski. Fischer Watea 78 is a ski you can grow with as well: it is our "performance rental" model in our fleet, and every customer seems to say "wow, that is a great ski!". I don't recall ever having such a crowd-pleaser in our rental fleet.

I previously owned a pair of Dynastar Trouble twin tips, and I grew out of my old boots, so I don't use them anymore. Im looking to upgrade from those old skis into some that will last a good number of seasons.

Good value at only $450 and its a pretty good "all-mountain" ski. As a ski instructor I am skiing everyday of every weekend and I must say it has done exactly what I have wanted it to. It doesn't really power through groomers like the standard parabolic ski does, but it's a twin tip so what do you expect. And though it may be a little bouncy in really chunky crud, thats why you keep your knees flexible. For me (5' 6" 130lbs). Its floated nice in the deep stuff and still got me down through the packed out fast stuff. The one thing I really love about the flite is its snap. The fact that its lightweight allows for great fast snappy turns giving you the ability to make it through any narrow chute or tree run. Though its got some flaws, I think it is a good, go anywhere, one quiver ski.

I ski on Nordica Hot Rod Jet Fuel, 84mm under the foot, 126 tip, 112 tail, and 18m turning radius. The best durability in skis is a wood core, double torsion box consrruction with a metal top layer and that is how these Nordicas are built.
They are the best all mountain ski that I have ever owned but not the quickest turning. They track like a Volkl which is no suprise as the Head Ski Designer for Nordica used to work for Volkl. They are heavy and they are stiff so they eat up the crud and are also decent on groomers.

I've been looking into the Line Prophet series as well. I've been looking at the 90s or the Flites because I don't get to ski many days a year but I would like a ski that can handle anything. Everything I've read about Line skis has been great so now I'm just trying to figure out which one to get.

I'm not really up on current all mountain skis, but a few years ago I owned a pair of Volkl Karma's. They were a fantastic all mountain twin tip with a wood core. They were a bit wide for my liking, I think around 84-85 mm. Whatever the current version of this ski is (hopefully someone can provide that info) would be something really worth checking into. Worst part is, I sold them mounted, with 15 days of skiing on them 3 years ago for about 350. haha... the stupidity.

Don't limit yourself with a directional ski unless you never want to ski backwards. Directional skis are more oriented for only skiing one way and have no twin tip.

Also, think wider is better. Even though you may not be in deep powder situations all the time, the wider your ski is underfoot the more versatile it will be in all conditions (besides ICE). Wider skis help you truck through junk snow.

There are alot of great all-mountain skis. When you visit the Canadian Rockies (Banff & Jasper) see if the factories are offering ski demonstrations or try the performance rentals available at the resorts and the shops in town. This will give you a chance to find the ski that fits your style.
As for keeping the ski for a long time, well, your fifteen and no doubt going to hammer these skis into rubber after a few years!
A few things you can do is learn how to take care of your skis from an experienced tuner...gentle filing, frequent waxing (especially before you put them away for the summer!).

Someone else mentioned it and I will second it. This is my second year skiing, a lot older than you young man, but weight is 145lbs, and I was on NEast US Elan's 140cm (they are jr skis) until recently. I have skiied Sunshine Village, and recently at Alta, on the recommendation of a pro there, I tried the Dynastar Sultan Legend 85 (158cm suits me), and they were incredible. They are stiff so can punch through crud and reasonable powder, and are mid-fats so handle real nice, and powerful with solid control on groomers and hardpack. So I got a pair with bindings recently here. Something about outgrowing my learning skis, which had begin to give way from the forces it was being subject to, and the Legend 85 really made a difference as conditions varied considerably. I think those are good skis for Alberta Rockies for sure.

Not sure if you thought of this but why limit yourself to just one pair of skis? Buying used equipment might be a consideration if you research the type of ski that is being sold and you don't settle for rental junk. Also, just because a ski is 5-10 years old doesn't mean it's not good anymore. Just this year I bought a pair of Powder skis for $80 without bindings, a slalom ski with bindings for $147.00 plus freight and a GS with bindings for $150.00 including freight. They all were in excellent shape and bought from people who quit skiing or didn't like them anymore. Make sure the bindings are on the indemnity list also. Can't tell you how nice it is to jam out on the slalom skis in the bumps and then swap for the GS for some high speed runs. Both skis are great on the groomers. When we have fresh snow I put on my freeride all mountain powder skis and i'm in heaven. But i'm a cheap bastard and won't fork out the big bucks for the 09-10 skis. I will just get the pair I want now in three years. Enjoy!